Vegan California Roll

5 from 20 votes

This simple Vegan California Roll recipe tastes just like the original, but it's totally vegan! Homemade sushi is so fun to make, very affordable, and soooo tasty! The filling is made up of 6 simple ingredients that when combined taste just like the classic California roll but no fish are harmed :)

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 45

Servings: 4 (makes enough filling to stuff about 4 sushi rolls)

Author: Sam Turnbull

Ingredients

For the sushi rice:

1 cup sushi rice
¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar

For the vegan imitation crab:

1 14oz (398ml) can hearts of palm drained (not rinsed), and sliced into thin strips
3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
½ teaspoon paprika plus more for sprinkling
¼ teaspoon salt

For the rest of the sushi roll:

4 - 6 nori sheets
2 - 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 avocado thinly sliced
½ cucumber cut into thin strips

For serving (optional):

soy sauce
pickled ginger
wasabi

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To prepare the sushi rice:

Cook the rice according to the package directions. I simply added the rice to my rice cooker and hit the "sushi rice" button. If you do not have a rice cooker, try my stove-top sushi rice method. Once the rice is cooked, transfer the rice to a large bowl and pour over the seasoned rice vinegar. Stir and fold the rice to mix in the rice vinegar, it will start to get sticky. Continue to fluff it up regularly as the rice cools. Allow the rice to cool to room temperature before using it.

To make the vegan imitation crab:

To a large bowl, add the strips of the hearts of palm, along with the vegan mayonnaise, paprika, and salt. Gently toss to mix everything together.

To assemble the sushi:

For an inside-out roll (the difficult method): cut a sheet of nori in half. Lay down a sheet of plastic wrap. If you have a sushi mat you can wrap it in plastic wrap (I don't have one). Place the nori half on the plastic wrap. Wet your fingers to help prevent the rice from sticking to them, then take some sushi rice and press it on the nori in a thin even layer, covering the surface of the nori.
Sprinkle a few pinches of sesame seeds over the rice and gently pat them into the rice.
Flip the nori onto the plastic wrap so that the rice is facing down. Add a few slices of cucumber, and avocado down the center of the nori. Top with a few strips of the vegan imitation crab. Sprinkle some extra paprika on for color if desired.
Lift the edge of the plastic wrap and use it to help roll the nori and rice around the filling. Gently squeeze the roll in the plastic wrap so that it holds together.
With the plastic wrap still holding the roll together, wet a sharp knife, then use a gentle sawing motion to cut through the plastic wrap, cutting the roll into slices. (I picked up the tip of leaving the plastic wrap on to make cutting easier at a sushi restaurant). Once cut, gently peel off the plastic wrap.
For a regular sushi roll (the easier method): lay a full-sized sheet of nori on a clean work surface. Wet your fingers to help prevent the rice from sticking to them, then take some sushi rice and press it on a sheet of nori, leaving about 2 inches of exposed nori at the top. Add a few slices of cucumber, and avocado down the center of the nori. Top with a few strips of the vegan imitation crab. Sprinkle some extra paprika on for color if desired and some sesame seeds. Carefully roll the sushi up, and when you reach the top, lightly wet the exposed nori with water to help glue the roll closed, then finish rolling. Wet a sharp knife and use a gentle sawing motion to cut into sushi rounds.

Nutrition

Find it online:

https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/vegan-california-roll/